


All or Nothing

by Pidge_is_awesome



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Kurapika in a dress, Leorio is in love love, M/M, Minor Hisoka/Illumi Zoldyck, Mission Fic, Undercover, Undercover as Married, Undercover as a Couple, good ending, this is v soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25734499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pidge_is_awesome/pseuds/Pidge_is_awesome
Summary: When Kurapika showed up in the middle of the night asking for help on a mission, Leorio didn't expect this.Rated Teen for language
Relationships: Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 23
Kudos: 237





	All or Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the side characters in this i literally made up on the spot so don't go looking any deeper
> 
> I really hope y'all like it, i put a lot of work into this fic, its the longest one ive written yet.

God damn Kurapika

That's all that Leorio could think at the moment. And that wasn't that big of a reaction! He could probably react bigger if he wanted to. But, maybe he just wanted to stay there for a minute...

2 weeks ago Kurapika had shown up, in the middle of the night, at Leorio's door. Obviously, he had been let in, despite Leorio's best senses telling him to protect his heart and send him away. He gestured inside towards his couch.

"I need your help," Kurapika had said as he sat down.

"I guessed enough when you showed up. It's not often that you come for a social call." He rolled his eyes, hoping to distance himself.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"If you were sorry you would pick up the phone a little more often… Tea?" Leorio walked past him towards the stove.

Leorio had realized that he loved tea, like strangely so. It was fantastic, like working magic. The right tea could calm him down when he was stressed, and give him the energy he needed to get through the morning. He had been about to drink some chamomile but decided against it the second he heard the distinctive rap on the door, but the water was almost to a boil.

The blond looked down, like he was ashamed at the fact. "Usually I would have a worse excuse, but this time my phone broke, and yes I would love some." 

His phone broke? That was a top of the line phone bought by his 'Employer'. How could it possibly break?

"Really?" Leorio took the mugs out of the cabinet. 

"Some of these exotic parts dealers have... impressive arm strength to say the least," Kurapika looked over at him, "I have been trying to keep in touch."

He nodded, he had to agree with that. A year ago Kurapika wouldn't pick up a phone even if there was a gun to his head, but now he seemed like he really was trying, as hard as it was. He would call when the kids were over and tell them (in the vaguest of terms) about his latest job and they would blabber on for what seemed like hours on whatever they had done that week. Sometimes he would call when Leorio was on his walk home and just listen.

"You do realize you don't need to protect us, we're brave and strong." 

The kettle let out a high whistle and Leorio nearly jumped out of his skin. Kurapika tried to hide his smile at the irony. It didn't matter anyway, Leorio's heart immediately melted the second that Kurapika smiled at him. Like Kryptonite to Superman, Bats to Batman, or father figures to Spiderman, Kurapika was his weakness. Obviously he could never know, that would be disastrous.

He grabbed the mugs and filled them with sugar. He'd recently bought some raspberry hibiscus tea and was itching to try it. He gave Kurapika chamomile so as to calm his nerves, which only seemed to be getting worse. He was fidgeting with his shirtsleeve, which was so extremely un-like him. Leorio grabbed the mugs and brought them into the room, handing Kurapika his mug and then sitting next to him on the couch.

"So, tell me, what do you need help with? You seem more nervous than usual, is someone after you?" 

"No, no nothing like that... It's actually about a job I need to do." 

That wasn't too strange, Kurapika had asked him to join him in jobs more times than he could count on his fingers. What could he say? They made a surprisingly good team. After Kurapika had realized that Leorio could hold his own in a fight, he was more willing to let him join him on odd jobs. Leorio watched as Kurapika raised the mug to his lips and drank, hopefully the tea would calm his nerves. He held the mug in the daintiest way, like he was nobility. It was an extreme contrast to the man holding it, a man who had the ability to kill in the blink of an eye. A man who was now sipping tea from a Hello Kitty mug (A thoughtful gift from Alluka and Nanika). To resist laughing at the thought and scaring Kurapika away, he took a sip of his tea.

"I need you to pretend to be my... lover. So to say."

Leorio spat out his tea. Lover?? L O V E R? Was fate really so cruel as to tempt him this way? Of course it was! That was a stupid question. Fate had had it out for him from the moment he laid eyes on that blond head of hair. Oh no, the blond hair that now had tea all over it. Oh god. Leorio put down his mug and ran to the kitchen to grab a towel. His mind was still racing as he attempted to dry Kurapika's hair (emphasis on attempted). The man in question reached up and finished the job, being much less frantic with his own hair.

"I don't know what kind of answer that was, do you accept?"

"Well, could I have a little more information?"

"You know I can't tell you until you accept."

"What if I don't!"

"You will." Kurapika smiled knowingly.

Goddammit, that smile would be the end of him.

"...I accept"

♧◇♡

That night Kurapika stayed at Leorio's. They took out the pullout couch and got it set up. Leorio tried to insist that his guest should take his bed but both of them were too stubborn to get anywhere. Despite Leorio's desperation to find out more about the job, he knew that Kurapika hadn't been taking care of himself, and needed to rest. Leorio could wait. 

The shower was running when Leorio woke up. It took him a moment to remember the events of last night, but they came flooding back. His memories were clear as day. To keep his mind off some of the details, he grabbed some pajama pants off the end of his bed and set out to make breakfast. A healthy helping of eggs and toast (with a little bit of jam), and as much coffee as he could fit into his mug. It was gonna be a long day, and he needed to act like it. 

Kurapika walked out of the bathroom, wearing his usual white undergarments and drying his hair with a towel while he walked up to Leorio. Leorio noticed a faint blush on his face, but it was probably from the warm shower. He slid a plate of eggs and toast across the countertop, to where Kurapika had taken a seat. Kurapika looked distracted, he couldn't seem to look Leorio in the face. Leorio rubbed his eyes and yawned, then reached one arm up and grabbed it with his other hand, stretching his back and torso out for a nice morning stretch.

"S'mthing wrong?"

“Must you dress so immodestly?” Kurapika reached for his fork and started stuffing his face with about as much manners as one could in his situation. He must be really hungry.

“Huh?” Leorio was confused, until he realized that he was dressed as he was every morning, without a shirt. "Oh yeah... sorry” It was too early to argue. He grabbed a sweatshirt and pulled it over his head. “Finish your food and then you can tell me what this whole job is, you must be starving.”

“I guess I didn’t realize how long it's been since I ate last,” Kurapika said sheepishly. 

“No problem at all, my eggs are the best in the world. They should fill you right up, make you grow big and strong!” He smirked.

Kurapika rolled his eyes. He recognized the 'big and strong" speech from when Leorio would feed the kids. It looked like he wanted to object to that comparison, but his face was so full of eggs at that point that there wasn’t much he could do. It was all Leorio could do not to laugh. Kurapika finished the food soon enough, washing it down with some orange juice. 

“So, this job?” Leorio leaned on the counter.

“Yes… the job,” Kurapika sat up straight,“ So, a little while ago, an exotic parts dealer broke my phone with his bare hands, and I got a lead on a man who has begun collecting Kurta eyes. I've heard rumors that he has at least a pair of them in his possession, and in two weeks he will be hosting a gala at his current estate, the only problem that I cannot complete by myself is the way to get in.'

'The only way to get into this gala is to pose as a couple, more specifically the couple I have recently been employed by. They are well known through their family name and happen to look similar enough to us, but they are often careful enough to not let people know their identities, which rules out the possible worries of meeting someone they know. Based on what we know about them there should be no reason that they would appear at this gala. Except for the fact it will be a masquerade party. I never let the two of them even get the invitations, I was able to grab them beforehand,” He held up two thick pieces of paper. 

All you have to do is lead me around in a few dances and pretend like you love me, it should be simple. I will be able to slide my way through the party and slip into the back room, I have the rest completely planned out. Does that explain enough?”

“Actually...Yeah it does. Just one thing... When should I pack?”

♧◇♡

“And your name is?” Kurapika held his hand out.

“Sir Arther Conan Doyle” Leorio bowed with a smile.

“Le-orio.” Kurapika scolded.

“Kit Kittredge?”

“Leorio!”

“Elvis Presley, at your service.”

“LEORIO.”

“Fine ‘Pika, don’t worry I remember. My name is Sora Madenoko, and you are my absolutely darling wife, Reo Madenoko” Leorio shook his hand, giving a kiss on his knuckles. "But I mostly call you my dear and my darling." He batted his eyelashes.

“And what is our job?” Kurapika didn’t pull his hand back but lifted up the flashcard in his other hand. 

“Well, darling, we are well known for our delicious pastries, which is a cover for the powerful personal army that they-sorry, that we have under our control.” He stood up straight and grabbed the card from his hand, flipping it to find his answer on the back.

The shorter man looked up at him, grabbing the card back and putting it away in the pile. "You better not make any sort of mistakes like that tonight. We've worked too hard for this to fail."

"Hey, we can do this, your plan is foolproof." 

"Well I am working with a fool" Kurapika betrayed a smile as he spoke.

"Rude!" He pretended to look shocked. "You're lucky you're pretty my dear." 

"Apparently it's why you married me," Kurapika was already grabbing his dress.

The blond stepped inside the bathroom. The minute the door was closed, Leorio flopped on the bed and muffled his screams in the pillows. He turned his head to look at the door to the bathroom. Right behind that door was the most handsome man he had ever met, and every minute they were together he was falling a little bit more. Unreciprocated, he assumed, why would he think otherwise? 

But, just looking at the blond was driving the young med student insane. He couldn't tell him, he wouldn't dare risk pushing him away again. It was too dangerous, if he had to let it eat away at him in order to keep Kurapika around, then that's what had to be done. 

The clock on the wall made an incessant ticking noise, reminding him of just how much longer he had to keep this up. Tonight was the night, they just had to get through this together. 

The door creaked open and Kurapika stepped out. Leorio sat up to get a good look at him. He had on a gorgeous dark blue dress. A v-neck, with spaghetti straps and sparkles, it touched the floor behind him, but came up in the front. It puffed out at the hips. His lipstick was an incredibly dark red. It complimented his red earring nicely. He had on a pair of blue heels. His hair was pulled back into a french braid, since it had gotten long enough for one. The dress allowed for all of his muscles to be on display, something his normal attire didn't accommodate. He looked a lot tougher than the last time they had seen each other, but then again it was impossible to tell. He passed as a rather masculine woman, someone who could definitely be the head of a private army. His chest was puffed out, so clearly he had slipped some fake boobs in there. Leorio wanted to laugh at the idea but thought better of it. Kurapika had his contacts in, so it was hard to see his eyes, but he almost looked concerned. They were wider than normal, staring directly into Leorio's, a straight expression on his face.

"Wow." That was all he could think to say.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kurapika quickly looked down at his heels, clicking them together like Dorothy.

"NO! I mean, No, no, no, nothing bad. You look... great." Leorio smiled.

"...You hesitated."

"I did not!" He defended.

"I am absolutely sure you did,"

Leorio rolled his eyes, "And you are sure you are okay with wearing the dress? Because I'll wear it if you want!"

"My culture sees, well… we saw clothing differently than your culture does, this isn't too far off from something I would wear. It's all just cloth," The Kurta smiled. "Go on, go get dressed."

"And the pronouns don't bother you at all?" 

"Not a bit, it's just a character. Like in Yorknew," He waved it off with a shrug. "Honestly, It doesn't bother me. Although if I get hit on I may hit someone." 

"And the heels?"

Kurapika shuddered. "How do people fight in these things? They're utterly impractical. What possible purpose do they serve? What's the point of being merely an inch taller-" He trailed on, but it was clear he was going to wear them, despite his qualms.

Leorio smiled back and grabbed his suit, God this man was going to be the end of him.

"Hey, just let me clarify." He cut off Kurapika's shoe rant, "You look positively stunning tonight, darling." He teased and closed the bathroom door.

♧◇♡

"The Madenokos."

The sun had set, and the two of them had walked up to the mansion, invitations in hand. Leorio was dressed in a clean black suit that he had had to borrow, it had a dark blue tie that went well with Kurapika's dress and with his own eyes, which were no longer hidden by glasses, but had a contact in each one. No one would have believed that the owner of a private army would wear a pair of cheap glasses. They would have gotten in the way of his mask anyway, it was a simple black mask with gold detailing. Swirls of silver and gold to represent their 'wealth'. 

His hair was also combed, a tiny bit of gel goes a long way. He had a cornflower in his lapel, blue to tie the outfit together. He looked much more sophisticated, and almost a little scary, which was exactly what they wanted. Kurapika had on a similar mask to his, but it was black with blue and red in it, on seperate sides, and it had more of a featherlike design engraved into the mask. 

The blond held onto his arm, smiling sweetly at the security guard that was hired. It was truly a sight to see. They handed over their invitations to the man, and Kurapika announced their 'name' and watched as he looked them over carefully. He sent the cards through a scanner, then checked the scanner, then the two of them. It was the longest 12 seconds of Leorio's life. Then, he ripped off a piece of invitation and handed the cards back, nodding them through.

"Well that wasn't so hard, was it, darling?" Leorio leaned down to whisper into Kurapikas ear.

The false smile dropped from his face, "The hard part is just beginning, I'm afraid." 

The room they had stepped into was massive, an incredibly tall ceiling, decorated with a painting that appeared to be similar to that of the Birth of Venus, with hints of gold in unusual places. A large glass chandelier hung from the ceiling in the middle, shining light down upon the guests, who were all in the middle of a dance. The two of them had been fashionably late, but so had most of the guests. It wasn't easy to get a group of criminals to come on time. There was enough food and drink for a small army, and the band was playing a lovely melody. Guards were stationed at every exit, and many other guards were following around their bosses, or standing on the sidelines, watching for the possibility of a threat. Kurapika was right, this might take a bit more convincing than they had planned. But they had to blend in first.

"Well, care for a dance?" Leorio extended his hand.

"How could I say no?" Kurapika grabbed his hand and they moved into the dance floor. "...You do actually know how to dance, right?"

"I've picked up a few things here and there," he pulled the two of them to the dance floor. 

At the startled look in Kurapika's eyes he clarified.

"I'm kidding, relax, Gon's Aunt gives me a couple pointers when I visit their house, I've gotten pretty good."

"Alright, but if you step on my toes even once we're sitting out." 

"Wouldn't dream of it." He slid his arm around the shorter man's waist and grabbed his hand, leading him in the dance.

The two practically glided across the dance floor. Leorio had been acting modest, he had become much better than 'pretty good'. It was the perfect way to blend in. Leorio could feel the heat of the shorter man pressed against him, and despite being focused on the dance steps, he felt himself slipping.

"Do you remember the plan?" A slightly red Kurapika looked over at the large ornate clock that hung on the wall.

Leorio nodded. At around 10 o'clock, all of the guests would then be escorted in the far east wing, where they would bear witness to their host's horrible collection of exotic parts. There, they would see a fake pair of Kurta eyes on display, which would distract most people, but not them. The party wasn't truly to show off the eyes, but an attempt to connect with dealers. They would create a diversion, then slip into the east hallway, which would lead them to the actual room where the eyes are at. It was 9:30 now, they couldn't dance for a whole half hour in silence, they had to do something. 

"Remind me again why we couldn't have worn wigs?" Leorio glared down a guy who was looking at Kurapika, before spinning said man into and out of his arms.

"Well how would you like to explain it when, in these close quarters, my 'hair' gets caught in something, probably somebody's hand, and then all of the sudden my fake locks are on the ground." 

"I'll admit, your reasoning is solid, but what happens if someone recognizes us?"

"Won't happen, you wouldn't believe how different someone can look with just a bit of change. Even though you wear that one suit all the time, you are lucky that plenty of the male population does the same. Our faces are almost completely covered as well, we'll be fine. There shouldn't be anyone here we know anyway." 

Leorio saw the jealous looks on the aristocrats' faces, and held Kurapika closer, his arm snaked around his waist. It was really small, Leorio realized. Kurapika didn't seem to take notice of this little change, despite being flush against Leorio. He had to think of something fast, his calm demeanor was at risk of being washed away.

Leorio cleared his throat, "I trust you. But if we aren't going to get recognized, we should head over to the food and try to get some information out of some of these people."

"Lead the way." The Kurta nodded towards the snack table.

They danced off of the floor and walked over to where some of the food was at. Exotic animals and plants that probably shouldn't be eaten were present on golden plates. Leorio grabbed some cheese and crackers instead. A small group of people were talking near them. It was a tall man with a green suit facing a blonde with the fur of an animal that couldn't be legal to kill, beside them was a shorter man in a purple suit, and a man with red hair who had his back turned to Leorio. An awful aura emanated from the group, most of the people in there were intimidating, but these people took the cake. Leorio thought they would be perfect to get information on but Kurapika grabbed his arm and pulled him away. 

"That's Illumi Zoldyck," He whispered, "We can't risk him recognizing us. He must be looking to eliminate those people, we can't interfere."

Leorio looked back at the group in shock. Kurapika was right, Illumi was standing tall, he had turned towards the redhead and nodded to something he had said. His mask had nearly made him unrecognizable, his long hair was in a braided bun, and he had on a dark green suit. He was going to be a problem, maybe they shouldn't have stopped dancing. 

"Out of all the exotic dealer galas, he just had to be at this one? What's with this guy" He took a bite of a cheese cracker sandwich.

Kurapika just glared in Illumi's direction and walked towards the other end of the table. "There are some high profile dealers here. I need to speak to at least one of them, try to get another lead." 

He looked back and saw that Leorio had stuffed his face with cheese crackers. Kurapika whacked the remaining crackers out of his hands.

"We are supposed to be the face of our company. Stop acting like a child!" He whisper-yelled.

"Yours too?" A voice piped up behind them.

They turned to see a woman and a man. The woman had on a fox scarf. Not fox fur, or even fox pattern, it was a fox that was being used as a scarf. Whether it was dead or alive was anyone's guess. She had an orange dress on to compliment it, and she had brown hair tied in a bun. Her mask also mimicked that of a fox's face.

"It's a hassle getting them to behave isn't it?" She was smiling at the two of them, just enough teeth for it to be borderline menacing. 

The man next to her was much more toned down than she was, however his tie was the same color as her dress, and he had on a broch that looked very much like a very well known and very extinct butterfly. On second glance, it may not have been just a broch. His mask looked quite a bit like said butterfly as well. He was shorter than his date, but neither seemed to mind. 

The woman laughed lightly and swatted her husband (?) on his forearm.

"Sometimes guys gotta be guys Kia!" The man chuckled along with her, before gesturing to Leorio, "They're so demanding right?"

Both Kurapika and Leorio were standing like a pair of deer caught in headlights, Kurapika fighting the disgusted face he was dying to make. Leorio slightly nodded and stood up straight, trying to look semi-presentable. Kurapika straightened up as well and laughed along with the woman, raising his voice a few octaves. 

"It's... difficult... to get him to act respectable at these things. We don't often come," He reached a hand out to shake with Kia, " My name is Reo, this is my husband, Sora."

Kia shook hands with 'Reo' and brought her husband forward, who gave Kurapika a more than uncomfortable kiss on his hand that lasted far too long. Kurapika looked at Leorio with a look that could kill, a silent request, and Leorio stepped forward to break that up with a respectful handshake to both of them. 

"Well, my name is Kia, and this is my husband Walter." She looked around the room. "This is some party right? I mean what a show off. I mean, last week we scored on a hunt, but we didn't feel the need to host such a party to display it. Don't get me wrong I love these things, but honestly this is a bit much for a pair of eyes." 

Kurapika went to speak but his throat was too choked up. He felt Leorio's hand on his back and heard him speak, but couldn't tell what he was saying. Hearing that woman, however horrible, mention as a passing remark that they were just 'a pair of eyes' was too much to handle. Leorio was making great conversation with these sick people. He laughed at the right times and smiled at the right times, but he kept looking over at Kurapika to see if he was getting any better. Eventually he smiled and said his goodbyes to the couple. Kurapika felt Leorio steer him far away from the couple.

"- least we got a lead, what a pair of crazies." Kurapika slowly began to hear what Leorio was saying.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe I was much help."

"Eh it's alright, I just told them that you weren't feeling well and had a sore throat from yelling at me and they bought it." Leorio shrugged.

"They just... I can't even imagine being that heartless." 

"They're fucking sick bastards I'll tell you that. Also I think I accidentally got us a really good deal on a Cruella de Vil type coat, and I reallly really don't want it… At least after all that they gave us a lead, they said that they had seen a pair of these eyes at another gala of a man by the name of..." Leorio concentrated hard, "Keeler Roiphe!" 

"I know that name. He's a dangerous wild game hunter. Must be how they know him." Kurapika nodded, "Good work Leo- Sora." 

"Who's the fool now, darling." Leorio smiled cheekily.

Kurapika rolled his eyes. He looked around the room, and his gaze fell upon where Illumi had been. But he was gone. They had been so caught up with the creepy couple that they hadn't been watching the very person that could ruin this for them.

"He's gone." Kurapika looked around wildly, but Illumi was nowhere to be found.

"New plan, dance and avoid him at all costs. He could get us killed," Kurapika gestured towards the floor.

Leorio groaned, "Do we have to? This whole being undercover thing is exhausting."

"Would you rather be exhausted or dead?" He tilted his head.

Leorio grumbled but took the infuriating man by the waist and led him back out. A new song began to play, and they began to dance. Leorio recognized the dance. It was known as a "social dance" which meant that they would be switching partners, and soon. Kurapika seemed to realize at the same time as he did, as a similar look of worry passed over his face before hardening his resolve. Leorio spun Kurapika into his chest facing out.

"Be careful" Kurapika whispered before Leorio spun him to his next partner. 

He was grabbed quickly by his next partner, a kind looking woman with blue hair. They danced for a bit before she spun happily to her next partner. Then the next person did the same, and the next, and the next, and the next. As Leorio watched his most recent partner go, his hands were grabbed by his next partner. He turned to look, and to his horror, he was face to face with Hisoka Morrow.

He had his hair slicked down, and he towered above Leorio, especially with his heels. He had on a pink, white, and gold suit. His mask had his signature star and tear on it with gold trim. He looked almost surprised to see Leorio as well, but he covered it up quickly with a sinister smile.

"Shit, it's you." Leorio scowled.

"Ahh, that's why Illumi insisted we dance. Too bad, thought he was making a move." The clown let Leorio spin them around on the dance floor. 

If Hisoka was here... Illumi! Leorio spun his head around to try to find Kurapika, and spotted him on the other side of the room, dancing with said tall man in his black bun and green suit.

"Goodness me, look how worried. You'll be relieved to know that hurting either of you won't help Illumi, so I guess you might be safe, for now~" He chuckled.

"Why. Why are you here?" Leorio looked him dead in the eyes as they danced across the floor.

"Really? I feel like that's obvious. If you can't figure that out on your own then. I can't help you," Hisoka rolled his eyes "You two are a problem though..."

"We'll stay out of your way. Stay out of ours." Leorio tried to look as intimidating as possible, which was hard when his partner definitely was more powerful in raw strength and nen.

"You're funny, but this mission is not up to me. If I were you I'd hope your dear boyfriend makes a very compelling argument~" 

And with that Hisoka spun away to dance with his next partner. Leorio looked over and saw that Kurapika and Illumi had walked off the dance floor. They were standing by the doorway, speaking in hushed voices. Neither one looked particularly happy with the other, which didn't bode well. Leorio started to walk over but his next partner was spun into his arms. He danced with her so as not to cause a scene, but at all times he was desperately trying to keep an eye on Kurapika. 

"She's pretty." The woman commented.

"What?" Leorio was trying to pay attention to Kurapika.

"The one you're staring at?" She smiled.

"Oh yeah, I like to think so...H-" Leorio remembered their training, "She's my wife"

"Oh my goodness, don't let me keep you away from her! Young love is a powerful thing. I can wait for another dance partner." She waved him off.

"Thank you!" Leorio started around the outside of the dance circle to meet up with Kurapika and Illumi.

He had to push his way past a couple of people but he made it there quickly. He pushed past a man in a suit and was greeted with Kurapika, standing alone at the outside of the circle.

"What happened to tall, dark, and deadly?" He pulled up next to him quietly. 

Kurapika sighed, "Luckily for us, he agreed that killing us would be inefficient. He also agreed to help create a distraction we need, as it helps his job as well."

Leorio scratched his head, "That is lucky. I was worried we would have to be scraped off the wall with a spatula. Did you know that Hisoka is here with him?"

"He is?" Kurapika scanned the dance floor before setting eyes on the redhead. "This job gets progressively harder every minute we're here."

"I'm sure that'll be the worst of it, Hisoka seems to be acting as Illumi's attack dog or bodyguard in some way. If Illumi seems fine, we should be okay, although the urge to punch that asshole in the face for what he did to Killua and Alluka is overwhelming let me tell you." Leorio was fuming. 

"I know… Believe me, I know." Leorio looked down at Kurapika. 

An aura was emanating from him, it was scary to see Kurapika like this. He could be severely protective, especially after he had learned about everything that everyone had gone through without him, and learning how his absence had hurt them. He was getting better every day, but his mistakes still haunted him.

The clock struck 10, the music died down, and the guests ceased dancing. They began to make their way to the main room. The were crowded by the other people from the party, trying to funnel into the smaller opening.

"Oh you didn't tell me what the new distr-" Leorio was cut off by Kurapika stepping on his foot very sharply, with heels, "What the hell was that for??" 

"Shut up!!" He whispered before grabbing Leorio's arm, pulling his ear down, "We appear to be raising suspicion."

A man was staring at the two of them intently. He could have just been a creep, but better to be safe than sorry.

"Well you didn't tell me what the ingredients for that recipe were! How can I recreate it without that?" He tried to make his words loud enough to be heard by their eavesdropper.

Kurapika nodded and let Leorio lead the two of them into the east wing, following the crowd. And there they were, the famed fake Kurta eyes. Kurapika's eyes went wide, and the edges of his contacts were changing colors. His grip on Leorio's arm tightened, and Leorio reached to pat it reassuringly. He pulled Kurapika towards the outskirts of the group, closer to the hall they needed to go down. People began to settle down and the host took his place at the front of the group. He was a small man, graying at the temples. His facial hair looked ungroomed and wild.

"My dear friends and future business partners! I cannot welcome you enough into my humble abode-" 

Suddenly the 6' tall clown, who was standing in the middle of the room, cried out and collapsed to the ground. Leorio tried to run forward, despite being undercover, he was a med student first, but Kurapika grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. He directed his eyes towards the unlit and now unguarded hallway. That was enough to pull the taller man out of his own head enough to realize that Hisoka was giving them the distraction they needed. While everyone (including the guards) rushed to help, Kurapika dragged Leorio down the darkened hallway, around the corner, and into the third door on the right. 

In front of the door there were two guards. One guard was reading a pamphlet to the other and laughing. Kurapika wrapped his arm around the first guards neck and held it till he passed out while Leorio grabbed a heavy looking vase and smashed it over the other's head. Hisoka's fake cries were loud enough to cover the sound of breaking glass. They each grabbed a body and pulled it into the room. They stopped to catch their breaths. The fear of getting caught was admittedly exhilarating. Leorio picked up the fallen pamphlet and grinned.

"Hey 'Pika, we should try a couples jazzercise class, I'm sure it would do wonders for our relationship!" He joked, pushing softly on the blond's shoulder, showing him the pamphlet.

There wasn't a response. Kurapika was staring directly in front of him, gaze unwavering. Leorio turned to match his gaze, and found quite a few pairs of eyes staring back at him. 

Specifically, 3 separate pairs of eyes sitting in a locked glass case, far more than they had anticipated, all glowing their signature scarlet color. 

" 'Pika." Leorio placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Finally Kurapika turned to meet his eyes. They were filled with such pain and sadness, enough to fill a thousand lifetimes. They were beginning to glow.

"...We need to get them out of here, before the guards wake up. You remembered the sack right?" He spoke gently, a sympathetic look on his face. 

Kurapika nodded, both of them removed their masks and Leorio put them in his pocket. Kurapika took a deep breath, and grabbed the sack from within the folds of his dress. It was a gift from an employer, it contained more space than it should. It was imbued with nen. Although it was small as a coin purse, it held a vast amount of space inside of it. He pulled on the opening of the bag and walked towards the case. Leorio followed and studied the lock, it didn't look too difficult to pick open. 

"Mind if I borrow a few hair pins, my dear?" He held his hand out expectantly, not looking away from the case

"Careful, you might develop a habit," He smiled sadly.

As he pulled some pins out of his blond braids, a bit of hair fell forward. He placed the pins in Leorio's open palm and leaned forward to watch him work. The lock was picked with speed and ease. Leorio was surprisingly good at it, he even leaned back and examined his work before opening the case.

Kurapika stepped forward and swiftly but delicately wrapped each pair of eyes in material and put them in the sack, and tied it up. He tucked it into his pocket and looked up sadly at the taller man. Without thinking about it, Leorio brushed the fallen strands of blond hair back behind his friend's ear. Kurapika froze, and Leorio's mouth went dry.

"Uh, sorry," He turned away and closed the cabinet before he could catch the blush spreading across Kurapika's nose. "Oh, yeah we should um... go back to the party? Before we get caught. Yeah."

"Yeah." The blush was fading, but Kurapika looked half a world away. 

The two of them headed out into the darkened hallway. Leorio went to turn the corner, but a hand grabbed him and yanked him back. Kurapika pulled him away from the corner, lifting his ears to listen.

"There's footsteps coming up that way," he leaned again, "they're coming this way fast, we can't get back to the room in time." He whispered.

Leorio looked left to right, Kurapika was right, every escape was more dangerous than the next. "So what do we do?" 

The blond was wracking his brain as fast as possible, desperate to find a solution. Then his eyes laid on Leorio, the perfect excuse. 

"Leorio, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, what kind of stupid q-"

"Then kiss me."

What?

Kurapika grabbed onto his tie and pulled him forward, waiting for Leorio to nod. It only took half a second for him to come to his senses. Then he was nodding like his life depended on it, and in some ways, it did. 

All or nothing, right?

At the nod, Kurapika surged forward, capturing Leorio's lips with his own. There was a small clash of teeth, but his hands went to the taller man's face to steady it. They meshed together. His back was facing the wall, and Leorio placed his hands on the blond's waist and pushed him back against it, responding to the kiss, turning his face to lean into the touch, and to counter his movements, not breaking the kiss for a second. 

Kissing Kurapika felt like walking on a cloud, his lips were soft, and he could taste a little bit of his chapstick. It felt like having lemonade on a hot summer's day, like seeing first fallen leaf of autumn, like cocoa after making snow angels, like the first blooms of a cherry tree. Like every beautiful part of the year. It felt like he never wanted it to stop. So this is what eternal bliss is like? Fate really was cruel. Cruel to keep him away from this feeling of total euphoria. Cruel to put him in this postion, and cruel to make him aware of the fact that this was not something he could savor.

God damn, Kurapika. 

"Uh.... Sir? Ma'am? I'm gonna have to ask you to exit this area? It's off limits."

Leorio pulled back and opened his eyes. Kurapika's eyes fluttered open, his face was red and he breathed heavily. He felt dazed. They both turned their heads to see a very anxious guard trying very hard not to look directly at them, a helpful side effect of PDA. Kurapika, who was less dazed, took the masks out of Leorio's pocket, handed one to Leorio and put his own on his face.

"Then why was it unguarded?" Leorio glared at him, getting into character, "I've seen plenty of people walking around over here, you're the first to interrupt." 

"And I would hope the last" Kurapika followed suit, crossing his arms, looking positively indignant. The rich bitch act almost made Leorio break character.

"Ah, I'm sorry sir, I didn't know anyone got back here." He looked around the hallway behind them, but seeing no one there, he turned back, more than a little worried. "If you would please follow me back to the party?" He turned and led them back towards the light. Obviously the guards at this party were cheap labor.

It seemed as though the speech was just finishing, since people had begun to clap, which allowed them to seamlessly blend into the crowd, and slip away from the guard. He looked like he was a little more worried about the 'other people' who may have been in that hall. 

Hisoka appeared to be fine, however he was sitting on the outskirts, being taken care of by a guard who was wrapping his ankle. Apparently he had 'rolled it' after stepping in a crack with his heels. He looked positively pained, despite his obvious flirting with the guard, who looked either intimidated or turned on, possibly both. It was obviously a cover, and not just for their sake, Illumi was nowhere to be found, and that certainly didn't bode well. Hisoka caught their eyes and his 'innocent' smile twisted into something worse. A clear red flag.

"We need to get out of here, now." Kurapika was looking around the room, getting more and more sure that everything was about to go to shit.

"You're telling me. Bonnie's flirting with that guard and Clyde's nowhere to be seen" Leorio was looking for an exit, the crowd was beginning to disperse, the host had shown off his terrifying fake body trophies, and they were interested in getting back to dancing and socializing.

Kurapika grabbed his hand, and Leorio glanced back to see that the guard that had escorted them to the rest of the party was being yelled at by the host and another guard, who was looking around the room, so he ducked his head and followed Kurapika closely. They were let back out into the main room, where everyone else was at. The front door was closed tight, it didn't seem like they would be getting out that way till the end of the party.

"Reo! Sora! Come on over!" Kia called for them from across the room.

Kurapika reluctantly walked over to Kia and Walter. It would look suspicious if they tried to get away from them as well. "I have an idea. Call the limo."

Leorio stood close behind him as they stopped, pulled out his phone to call while Kurapika spoke.

"Uh Kia? Is there any way that we could leave this event early? My husband and I simply have to get back home, I have a splitting headache, and my throat is only getting worse," His voice became more and more hoarse throughout his sentence. 

Leorio feigned worry as Kurapika leaned against him, in order to support his 'ailing wife'. He was beginning to look more and more tired.

Kia actually looked worried, while Walter looked nothing less than disgusted.

Suddenly, Kurapika fell back, as if he had suddenly passed out. Leorio sweeped Kurapika off of his feet and looked him up and down, then back to Kia. "Please, I'm worried."

"Oh you poor thing, of course we can get you out of here. Let me speak with the guard." She turned on her heels and made a beeline for the front door.

Kurapika's head was nestled in the crook of the taller man's neck. He tried to keep his body curled up to make himself easier to carry. He shivered. Walter's eyes widened, like he feared catching whatever Kurapika had, so he followed Kia to give the guard a piece of his mind. Leorio followed close behind. Most of the party was undisturbed by any of this. They cared more about themselves. 

"-Ma'am I'm sorry, I simply can't let them leave yet-" The security guard was trying to reason with the unreasonable couple.

"How could you. Look at that poor woman and tell me that she shouldn't be gone from here, back to her personal doctors!" Kia was persistent.

"Keeping her here is a danger to your boss! And all the rest of the party. Who knows if she is contagious!" Walter looked more concerned for himself, but either way he was helpful.

The guard looked at Kurapika, who was shivering something fierce, then up to Leorio, who was clutching him to his chest. "Please sir, I've already called our car. It's waiting for us out front. My wife is only getting worse."

The guard sighed and opened the door. "It's really just a formality to keep people til the end I guess. It's a bit weird to force everyone to stay for no reason, not like we're really protecting anything. You can go, I hope she feels better."

Kia and Walter smiled and practically pushed Leorio out the door triumphantly. Leorio ran to the limo that they had called and put Kurapika in, waving to Kia and Walter as he closed the door. Right before it closed, Leorio saw the host reach the door. For a moment, they locked eyes, and Leorio could see the anger in them, he smirked. Then Leorio told the driver to get them to the restaurant near their hotel as fast as possible. They sped away without a moment to lose. Leorio made eye contact with Kurapika, and a beat passed before they both burst with laughter.

"Just in time. That place was about to be locked down." Leorio leaned his head back against the leather seats. "I almost feel bad for tricking those guards, it was too easy."

"Better than being locked inside with… how did you put it? Bonnie and Clyde." Kurapika leaned down and adjusted his heels.

Leorio shuddered at the thought, but he smiled to himself at the fact that Kurapika had used the reference. "Good point, 'Pika"

It wasn't long before the car dropped them off close to their hotel. The driver smiled when they tipped him and drove off without a word. It was late, they really should switch to another hotel to throw any pursuers off their scent, but at this point if they hadn't caught up to their car, they probably wouldn't catch up to them anytime soon. Kurapika looked like he was thinking the same thing. He shivered in the midnight air and Leorio dropped his jacket over his shoulders without a second thought. Kurapika looked shocked but instead of arguing like usual, he just pulled the jacket closer. They walked back to the room in a peaceful silence.

♧♡◇

The two walked through the door together, Leorio took off his mask and placed it on the table next to the doorway, then ran his fingers through his hair deliberately. The gel wasn't as strong now, and his hair was beginning to go back to its natural shape. He touched his lips faintly, he could feel the man who had bruised them shift next to him, and he took a breath to steady himself. Kurapika had tossed his heels to the other side of the room and was rubbing his pained feet through his tights. He dropped onto the closest bed, which happened to be Leorio's. His dress was pushed up and his mask had been thrown aside, and the most important sack had been placed into his suitcase ever so gently. 

"Why would anyone choose to wear these?" He groaned and fell back on Leorio's bed, his hands going to his face. 

"Besides going undercover as a criminal couple?" Leorio walked into their bathroom and took out his contacts.

He put on his glasses and looked at himself in the mirror. Kurapika joined him, taking his black contacts out to reveal his honey-brown eyes. 

"Hisoka wears them on a daily basis, not to mention that he fights in them." Kurapika genuinely looked bewildered.

"Ah yes, but Hisoka is a creepy crazy bastard, so there's that."

Kurapika nodded before leaving the bathroom, Leorio in tow. He shrugged off the jacket, folded it, and placed it in Leorio's luggage. He was so graceful. It was a strange thing to notice now, but Leorio couldn't help it. Everything about him was noticeable. His hair, his eyes, his shoulders and torso. Even as disheveled as he looked now, he still looked... unmistakably handsome. Leorio watched as he tried to reach the zipper on his dress, quite a few times before giving up and instead taking off his tights.

"Do you want some help with that?" Leorio offered.

"With my tights?" Kurapika looked confused, if not a little bit red. He was cute when he was flustered.

The taller man blushed. "I-I meant with your zipper?" 

"Oh, would you?" Kurapika turned his back to him, lifting his hair out of the way.

Leorio moved forward, grabbing the dress with one hand and the zipper with another, so as not to accidentally rip it or hurt Kurapika. He looked at his back muscles, impressive for Kurapika's small stature. He was amazing. Even through everything tonight he had kept his composure. God, Leorio couldn't imagine having to do that, especially not with how often Kurapika had to.

"'Pika?" He said as he carefully unzipped the dress.

"Mhm?"

Leorio didn't know if it was because of the kiss, or because of how late it was, or the over exposure to Kurapika, or even all 3 and more, but at the moment, he had only one thought:

All or nothing.

"...Did you really kiss me just as a distraction?" He let go of the dress, to give him space to answer.

Kurapika stopped moving.

"I mean, it was a good plan and it worked really well, I just wondered if there was anything-" Leorio started to explain.

Kurapika cut him off by turning around abruptly. "I did it because I wanted to."

Oh.

"It's the first thing I've really wanted in a long time, it was selfish. I'm sorry, it was rude of me to take advantage of the situation. Even asking you on this mission I knew what I was getting myself into." 

OH.

"I really don't want this to come between us. I don't want to lose you."

OH MY GOD.

"Leorio? Please say something." 

Leorio snapped out of his gay panic to get a look at Kurapika. The latter was fiddling with his dress, but he was standing defensively, like preparing for the worst. His eyes were trained on the taller man's face, waiting to see the slightest bit of change.

"...So did I. I've wanted to for so long now, Kurapika... You could never lose me." He smiled softly and tilted his head, "As much as you might try."

Kurapika stood up straight, letting his defensiveness slip off of him like water off a duck's back. Leorio reached his right hand up to cup his face and he leaned into the touch.

"Does that mean I can kiss you again?" Kurapika asked cautiously.

"Oh my God, I thought you'd never ask." Leorio threw his head back, faking exasperation, breaking any tension between them like a twig. "It's not like I've been practically head over heels for you for years."

Kurapika smiled, grabbed Leorio's hanging tie and pulled it down, abruptly bringing his face level "Would you please shut up already?"

"Make me" Leorio leaned in, closing the space between them to give Kurapika a peck on the lips, smiling as he pulled back.

The blond blushed but pulled on the tie harder, "You're infuriating." 

He used his grip on the tie to make their lips crash together. Leorio's hands once again found their way to his waist, easing into the kiss. It was different than the last one. It was more confident, more passionate. A dam of emotions had been broken. It was even better than the last. 

Kurapika broke the kiss to undo Leorio's tie and pull it off. He finally let go of the tie, tossing it across the room, instead opting to grab the back of Leorio's head, shoving his hands in his messy black hair, bringing them back into a kiss. Leorio's hands went up, pulling the straps off of the other's shoulders, while Kurapika undid some of his buttons, he shook off the dress and stepped out of it, before immediately returning to Leorio like a magnet.

Kurapika spun Leorio around so that the back of his knees were touching the bed, before pushing him onto said bed. Leorio hit the bed with a little bounce and propped himself up on his elbows to watch as the Kurta unclipped the useless bra and tossed it to the side. As he did so Leorio pulled his belt off and let it fall off the edge of the bed. Kurapika climbed onto the bed, crawling all the way up to Leorio, placing his hands on the taller man's shoulders.

The two of them froze. Leorio gazed up at him, eyes wide, a smile playing on his lips. His hair was disheveled, black hair going every direction, much more normal than the gelled hair he had worn throughout the night. The first 3 buttons of his shirt were undone, and his sleeves rolled up. The bottom of his shirt had been untucked from his pants. He stared at the man above him, blond hair falling out of careful braids. His eyes had changed from their usual toasted honey brown, and shone a brilliant shade of red, like rubies heated over a flame. They were filled with so much emotion. Time seemed to pass by achingly slow. 

"You're beautiful." Leorio muttered, just above a whisper, but it broke the silence. 

Kurapika's face turned a similar color to his eyes. 

"...And you could and would kick my ass so that's hot too" Leorio let out a breath he was holding in with a smile.

The blond snorted, and Leorio froze again. He snorted. Kurapika snorted. He looked so relaxed, like he felt safe. 

"You might stand a fighting chance." He leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Aw that's sweet, you'd decimate me. My first mistake when meeting you was ever challenging you to a legitimate fight." Leorio shifted as Kurapika began peppering kisses down his jawbone."My second mistake was not realizing that I have a thing for blonds, specifically ones with brown and red eyes, and have arachnophobia, and look really good in blue-"

Kurapika cut off his rambling with a kiss on his lips. "Well, my long and painful mistake was not realizing that the charming and secretly caring doctor had a thing for me."

"If I'd have paid just a bit more attention-" He was cut off again by the shorter man.

"All of our mistakes led us here. Maybe sometimes the stars take their time to align." Kurapika said, as if reciting poetry.

Leorio nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

"My mom used to say that." Kurapika laughed, but there was no emotion behind it. "I didn't understand it at the time."

Leorio's eyes widened. Kurapika didn't talk about his past much, besides his main goal. To open up about it was huge. 

" 'Pika?" Leorio used his elbows to push himself up, wrapping his arms around the man in his lap who's face was buried..

"Is this selfish?" He mumbled into Leorio's nape.

Leorio took a breath in. Of course it wasn't selfish, but it was difficult to explain that. Kurapika had spent months trying to keep Leorio and everyone out of the loop to keep them safe, which isn't healthy behavior. But trauma makes hurt people do strange things, things that usually end up hurting themselves and the people around them instead of protecting them. He let the breath out, and squeezed Kurapika tighter. He felt one of his own hands undoing the blond's french braids, but he wasn't completely aware of the movement.

"It isn't. Wanting this, I mean, it isn't selfish. If it is then I'm more guilty than anyone. Craving human connection is completely normal." He ran his hand through the braid, letting the curled hair fall apart between his fingers, feeling Kurapika melt under his touch, "Especially in your line of work." He worked his hands steadily through the blond hair. 

"I can't let you get hurt," Kurapika wrapped his hands around Leorio's back, grasping onto his shirt, like he would slip through his fingers if he let go. "You mean too much to me Leorio. I can't let history repeat. I have to protect you. And Gon, and Killua, and now Alluka and Nanika."

"I'm a big guy 'Pika, you don't have to worry about me, I'm scrappy. Hey, look at me" He leaned back to get a good look at Kurapika's face. "The kids are tough as nails, hate to admit it but as much as I want them to have a normal life, they aren't normal kids."

Kurapika nodded sadly.

"I've been your friend for years, even when you've hurt me. I want to be a part of your life, no matter how dangerous. I want to be by your side, and I'm not going to get hurt." Leorio gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'm strong enough to hold my own."

"...I just need you to be patient with me." He responded with a tiny smile, but his hands were still fists holding onto Leorio's shirt.

"Is that not a given?" Leorio smirked, tilting his head to kiss that lovely little smile. "I could wait for 1,000 years with nothing but the promise of you at the end to keep me going." He rubbed calming circles into Kurapika's back. "Like I said, you aren't gonna lose me."

“I don't need to wait that long.” 

Kurapika's eyes looked a little wet. He grabbed Leorio's face and pulled him into a forehead kiss.

"Good, because I don't know how these features might hold up in 1,000 years, it's definitely a gamble for you." Leorio smirked.

When Leorio smirked, his eyes squinted, and his cheeks reddened. His crows feet were stark reminders of his outward expressions of joy and love. Kurapika felt soft. His hands were still resting on Leorio's face, he could feel his rough stubble underneath his hands. Leorio's arms were propping the two of them up, but he lifted one to place it on Kurapika's.

"...In all seriousness, I think your family would want you to be happy." He said tentatively.

Kurapika gave a solemn nod. He knew they would. It would be their dying wish. But it wasn't just his close friends and family slaughtered. All of those innocents had been killed, and turning his back to them would be negligent. Even if it had just been his own family, despite their wishes he would have taken revenge. The grief and pain was too powerful for him. They deserved a proper burial, but maybe, just maybe, a bit of happiness on his way to revenge and justice could be beneficial. Just a bit, like right now.

Kurapika continued scratching at the stubble that was growing from Leorio's cheeks. He didn't really want to think about it right now, but it was important. "Maybe so, but I need to finish what I've started."

"Of course, I understand. I'll help, that is, if I can. I am so, so proud of you." He whispered, a truth shared only by the two of them. 

Kurapika smiled, he felt a yawn rise in his throat. He turned his head to look at the clock in the wall. It was somewhere around 4 in the morning. Their plane was tomorrow at 9. Leorio followed his gaze, his eyebrows rose and his head rolled back.

"Damn, I thought that a 9 o'clock flight wouldn't be too difficult. Past-Me is an idiot." Leorio groaned.

"Are you saying Present-You isn't?" Kurapika tilted his head to the side before sliding off of Leorio's lap to climb under the covers.

Leorio pretended to look offended. He placed a hand over his heart and gave a fake gasp. "You hurt me, my darling." He slipped off his pants and pulled off his shirt. Then he slid under the covers, reaching over to hit the lightswitch, submerging them in darkness, except for the moonlight coming from the (mostly covered) window. Kurapika had been right, it felt like a habit was forming.

Kurapika didn't respond, but gave a small smile before he pulled Leorio close under the covers. 

Leorio wrapped his arms around him, and for the first time, in a very long time, Kurapika felt safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if its ooc, i needed the fluff. I hope you guys liked it! Pls leave kudos and comments if you did 💖💞


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